The Tiger Leaping Stone is a large boulder sitting in the middle of the Yangtze River at the narrowest point of the gorge, where the river is compressed to 25 metres wide and the water velocity is extraordinary. Access is via the lower road, where a path descends steeply from the road to a viewing platform near river level. From here the boulder is visible in the churning water, and the noise of the river at this point is loud enough to require raised voices.
The lower road approach means this can be visited without doing the high trail — it is accessible by vehicle from Qiaotou. Many trekkers who complete the high trail include the Tiger Leaping Stone as a final stop before catching onward transport from Walnut Grove. The descent to river level is steep and not trivial, but the combination of scale and sound at the bottom makes it worth the effort. Entrance to the gorge area (¥45) is charged at the main gate.